Five Finger Death Punch will release new versions of their hit songs on July 18. This move comes after their previous record company sold their original recordings without telling them.
“We would have loved to have a shot at reclaiming our masters, or at least to be involved in the transaction, but we found out after the fact. Surprised, but not surprised,” said guitarist Zoltan Bathory in a recent interview. “These kinds of behind closed doors deals have become far too common in the music industry. Labels buy, sell, or trade artist’s work without their knowledge or consent, reducing them to soulless commodities.”
The new collection, Best Of – Volume 1, packs 14 re-recorded songs and three live cuts. Much like Taylor Swift’s strategy when faced with similar issues, the band chose to remake their music instead of fighting for the old recordings. They’ve had a contentious history with Prospect Park, their former label. It included a million-dollar lawsuit in 2017.
They picked “I Refuse” as the first release, now with added vocals from Maria Brink of In This Moment. This track starts a string of fan favorites, including fresh takes on “Wrong Side of Heaven,” “Bad Company,” and “The Bleeding.”
Their success speaks through numbers: an unmatched streak of 11 number-one spots on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Since 2007, they’ve turned seven out of nine albums into gold or platinum.
Fans can pick between standard CDs, special store editions, or vinyl pressings at Walmart, Best Buy, or local shops. Six shows will mark the release. Starting in Milwaukee on July 17, they’ll hit stages until August 29 in Pryor, Oklahoma.
New merchandise marking two decades of music is now up for grabs on . You can also pre-order the new album.